To demonstrate COM's language independence, the book develops projects in four different development environments from the industry's leading vendor--ATL, MFC, VB, and VJ++. Integrates learning about all four aspects of COM (Component Object Model): COM, Automation, ActiveX, and DCOM. Emphasizes component creation and use techniques independent of any single programming language. Focuses on technologies created atop MTS (Microsoft Transaction Server), ASP (Active Server Pages), and OLE DB. Demonstrates COM techniques most appropriate for real-world development in the corporate world. No "ivory tower" demos!